A Wing And A Ninja
by Stargatefanatic123
Summary: The United States of America had a lot to be grateful for, they looked to the protectors of New York as heroes. Few knew of the identities of the four shadows that worked at night, fewer still knew of the fifth that worked during the day and the night, living in both worlds. This is the story of Diana Hamato, the fifth shadow of New York. Rated T for language.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I think everyone gets the gist of this now. Outside of my own characters, I own no one and nothing. Admittedly, I'm planning on creating an inter dimensional portal and grabbing all those lovely, hot men from Atlantis! But that's just semantics.

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**So, I know I've got TiA and my PoD to worry about right now. But for the last few years, I've been a fan of TMNT and MARVEL and written some fanfic for it. This has been my major piece of work when I haven't been writing for TiA.**

**I've been a MARVEL fan for years now and when I tried coming up with a fanfic for MARVEL and TMNT seperately, I couldn't seem to write anything that I liked and wanted to continue on. So, I combined the two and this story is the result. It's undergone several, cosmetic and not so cosmetic changes since I first wrote the idea for this story, so I hope that you, the reader, will enjoy this at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

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**Prologue**

**18th DECEMBER 2104, NEW YORK CITY, YOSHI INSTITUTE FOR THE GIFTED**

Cody Jones cautiously navigated the halls of the Yoshi Institute For The Gifted, looking for the one room he wanted to get into. It was admittedly difficult for him to look at the oddly ancient appearing materials: he was used to the metal, to the coolness not this wood-like material.

He'd come to the institute to speak with his aunt – technically she wasn't his biological aunt, but she had been an honorary member of the O'Neill and Jones family for as long as he could remember – since she had said she couldn't come and speak with him at his home. A part of him thought it might have had something to do with Serling, his aunt never seemed completely comfortable around his AI droid caretaker, especially after Uncle Darius had programmed Serling to keep an eye on him at all times.

Cody paused at one door and carefully grabbed the wooden handle, almost afraid that the material would break under his light grip. A blaring alarm sounded for a single beat, but it was enough to have Cody leaping away from the door.

_"YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THIS AREA!"_ a voice ordered, sounding oddly masculine, stern and loud. _"IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK WITH THE HEADMISSTRESS OF THE INSTITUTE, HER OFFICE IS TWO DOORS DOWN ON YOUR RIGHT."_

Cody nodded habitually before making his way down the corridor to the prescribed door. He took a breath and knocked gently against the wooden door.

_Come in Cody,_ a voice said in his head, sounding familiar.

He carefully opened the door and poked his head around, he saw his aunt sitting at the large wooden desk, reading something on a clear tablet. She didn't look up, rather gestured at the door and Cody started slightly as the door opened further, seemingly of its own volition.

"I said you could come in Cody," he aunt said as she finally looked up at him. "You know I don't bite." She smirked. "Much."

Her yellow eyes focused on him and Cody suppressed a shiver at the sight of the one clouded eye. As he usually saw her, her brown hair was left loose to run down her back, out of sight. He stepped into the room and watched as his aunt gestured once more, this time pushing and Cody watched as the door closed with a gentle click of the mechanism.

"Aunt Diana," he greeted her as he moved closer and embraced her.

She laughed softly, returning his hug. "Oh Cody," he heard her whisper. "So much like your great-grandfather." She chuckled. "And why are you here, young man? I have a class in a few minutes."

Cody pulled back from his aunt, sitting when she gestured for him to do so. "I was reading Casey's journal again," he said. "And I realised, it's only his and April's views on what happened. I was wondering if you could give me anything to tell your side of the story, or even Leonardo and the others that Casey and April didn't get."

His aunt leaned back in her seat for a moment before she stood and walked to the windows behind her. From where he sat, Cody could see that the floor to ceiling glass panels looked out on a courtyard where people from childhood right up to adulthood played with one another, no matter their appearance.

"There are things that you would never have read in the journal, Cody," she said softly, "because your great-grandparents never experienced." She sighed, her hands clasped behind her as she looked out on the courtyard still. "I have lived for over a hundred years Cody: I fought alongside my brothers and father and I buried them, one by one. The memories you want to look at, to know, are painful for me to relive, Cody, in looking and holding the things that my brothers held and know that they… never will again." She turned to look at him, her clouded yellow eye looking at him from behind the pale, scarred flesh around the orb. "And you want me to give you that?"

She sighed and sat back down. Cody felt guilty as he looked at his aunt, suddenly seeing her as she felt: old and worn beyond measure.

"I'm sorry Aunt Diana," he rushed to say. "I won't ask it of you again! Please, forget what I asked!"

She shook her head, raising a hand to stop him from speaking further. "You asked from genuine curiosity," she said. "Who am I to quash the desire to satiate it?" She sat up straighter in her seat and opened a drawer, pulling out a worn, old book, her name inscribed on the cover in gold lettering. "TIM?"

_"Yes, Ms. Hamato?"_ the voice from before asked politely. _"Can I be of service?"_

His aunt nodded tiredly. "You can, Tim," she said. "Scan my journal and give Cody Jones a disk copy."

_"Already done, ma'am,"_ the voice answered. _"Agent Barton had me do it years ago. He wanted you to have a copy in case the original was destroyed somehow. I can have disk copy ready within the hour ma'am."_

His aunt nodded and put the book back in the drawer. "Thank you, Tim," she said. "That will be all."

_"Of course, ma'am."_

Aunt Diana looked at him. "You can stay and watch the lesson if you want Cody," she offered. "It won't be ready for an hour yet, and I know that TIM will have the disk brought to me."

Cody hesitated for a moment, torn before he nodded. "I'll stay," he agreed, brushing an unruly lock of red hair out of his eyes.

"Well then, take a seat over there," Aunt Diana said, gesturing to the sofa along the wall nearby. "My students are at the door and are waiting."

He nodded and moved quickly, sitting down on the sofa, relaxing when he realised how comfortable it actually was. Cody pulled up the screen of his gauntlet, ready to take notes like the students, and watched as his aunt gestured to the door that opened once more, allowing in the students that didn't even look at him.

_I'm hiding you from them Cody,_ his aunt whispered in his mind._ I don't think you want them to recognise who you are and ask why you're here._

He smirked and nodded at his aunt. _Thank you,_ he thought, hoping she would hear him.

_You're welcome, Cody. You're welcome. _She glanced at him for a second._ You do realise you owe me, right?_

Cody let his smirk widen. _Name your price, Aunt Diana. Name your price._

He watched and listened as she started to teach. _Then, let me begin m'boy…._

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This is the prologue and I look forward to reading everyone's reviews. Like always, I've allowed guest reviews and I ask, as usual, that Guests identify themselves (Guest 1, Guest 2, etc., or however you want me to call you when I answer your reviews) and that I receive constructive reviews. Flamers will get a single warning before being reported. For a rough idea of what I'm looking for, see my bio page. Consider yourself warned.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I think everyone gets the gist of this now. Outside of my own characters, I own no one and nothing. Admittedly, I'm planning on creating an inter dimensional portal and grabbing all those lovely, hot men from Atlantis! But that's just semantics.

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**Okay, here's the next chapter. I have nothing else to say really.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

**19th SEPTEMBER 2002, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, 9pm**

If a tourist visiting New York City spoke to residents, asking their opinion, those asked would describe it as a place that mimicked those with insomnia; the city never really seemed to sleep, people walking the streets at all hours at the feet of the skyscrapers. Even the parks were alive at the oddest of hours, reflecting the rest of the city with the graveyard shift workers taking a casual stroll or the night time delivery boys taking a short cut or even the homeless that had nowhere safer to sleep for the night, certainly not in the shadows of the skyscrapers.

Two years after the attack on New York's Twin Towers, the sky line still didn't look right to many of the residents, all of them seeing the Chrysler Building and its sister building of the Empire State. A slightly newer development that had appeared in the city only five years earlier was the tall skyscraper of Saki Incorporated, the company's logo of a dragon foot proudly proclaiming the Japanese origins.

The tourists, no matter how rich would never get one view that one teenage girl was getting, sitting astride one of the Empire State Building's large metal eagle heads. With one leg hanging casually over one of the large metal eyes, the girl rested her chin on her right arm that lay propped on her right knee, her foot resting comfortably on the beak of the metal sculpture.

That girl was me and I sighed as I looked out over the city at night, hearing the honking of horns, quiet cursing and gentle music that drifted up in the air to me. My brown eyes looked around the city, easily taking in the night-time sights, even as I felt a pang as I looked to the one place where the Twin Towers had once stood proud in the sky. Two years on and for me, Diana Hamato, the pain of losing the city's landmark and everything they stood for still hurt, fresh as the day as the attack.

Knowing that I had to get home and soon, I cast my gaze back out over the city, soaking up the freedom my home city had to offer. I stood slowly and carefully, putting my hands out to balance herself even as I felt my feathered wings mimicking my movements behind me. Shaking my head, I bent over and picked up my dark patchwork coat and threw it over one arm.

I moved to the very end of the sculpture, flaring my wings fully as I looked out across the brightly lit city. "Goodnight New York," I said, taking a breath moments before I rolled onto the balls of my feet and let gravity take over.

I felt the familiar pull and laughed as I fell, feeling the wind easily stealing my breath before I felt it catching my wings, spreading them wider behind me before I soared high into the sky, higher than my perch and the building. I always felt free flying, defying gravity like the rest of humanity wished to, even as I calmly drifted towards Central Park, staying up and out of view of the cameras below. I needed the shadows the trees provided and I alighted in one of the larger ones, folding my dark brown wings against my back. I slipped the bag off, replacing it moments later when my coat was on, hiding my wings from view before I moved quickly, leaping from the tree and into the lit paths of the park, pulling my dark hood up and over my faced as I walked through the park to the nearest manhole cover, intent on getting home as quickly as I could.

I looked out on the street, noting how almost all the lights in the homes were out. That was good enough for me as I walked out into the road, safe knowing that no cars would come anytime soon. I stopped in front of a manhole cover as I carefully looked around the rest of the homes, making sure it was safe enough for me to go down.

I spotted one curtain open, an old women at the window as she gazed out at me, half afraid, half calm. I knew the women – by reputation at least – well enough to know that she wouldn't call anyone on me for the night. I silently thanked her as I bent over and slipped the cover off the manhole just enough for me to climb down and pull it back over.

Unlike my brothers, the maniacs that they were, I carefully climbed the rungs I needed until I pulled the cover back over my head, savouring the darkness it brought before I hissed, feeling my back itch incessantly. Ever since my 10th birthday – 4 years ago – my back had become home to a pair of mottled brown wings and my dark brown eyes had started to lighten, slowly but surely. Thankfully, my brown hair had stayed the same, light streaks running through it, but otherwise unchanged. I took a moment to carefully readjust the rough shoulder bag slung across my back, silently muttering how I always managed to knock it when I came back down from the surface.

I took another moment to cling to the rungs in front of me while I rested my forehead against the cool metal, seeking to try and control the itching across my back. I sighed a moment later when I realised that trying to control it was not going to get me anywhere and I began the climb down. I had chosen this particular manhole because it was the one of the only one close to our lair that – while it wouldn't lead directly or indirectly to home unless you knew where to look – allowed me access to the surface world without worrying Master Splinter.

I moved quickly along the path to home, carefully jumping over old damaged areas in the sewers before I reached home, moving through the familiar archway. I sighed, smiling as I removed the bag, carefully slipping it off while I made sure that the jacket Master Splinter had given me – when my wings had first started growing – stayed down, keeping my wings out of sight. No matter that Master Splinter and Raphael knew, the others didn't and I really didn't want Leo to find out. I could only imagine my brother's tirade when he eventually found out. Joy.

I paused as the lights in the lair came on, revealing home in all its yellow brick and scrap cloth beauty. I heard the distinct sounds of two of my temperamental brothers in the early stages of one of their fights.

"Teachers pet!" Raphael's distinctive voice snarled.

"Ninja dropout," Leo returned, even as I heard Mikey and Don 'ooh' mockingly behind my favourite brother, egging him on.

I decided to cut my brothers off from the fight before it got any further. "Cut it out you two!" I called from where I stood several feet away, seeing Raph's hand shaking ominously towards the sai at his left side. "I didn't go out hunting for money for the two of you fight! Break it up."

I saw Raph glance at me before he nodded and took a step back, even as we all heard Master Splinter sigh, his eyes covered with one paw-slash-hand. "My sons if you are to become true ninja, you must work harder," he growled out.

While I knew that he wasn't including me in this post training lecture, nonetheless I stepped closer, moving to kneel traditionally at Donatello's right as I made sure that the bag was close at hand, turning my attention to our father.

"Your path in life will not be an easy one," Splinter continued, his gaze slowly sweeping across us all. "The outside world will not be a friendly place for you are different in ways the surface dweller would never understand." Splinter's gaze rested on me for a moment longer than the others before he looked back to the others. "To survive you must master these skills I teach you; Ninjutsu powers of stealth and secrecy. You must become _Kage_, Shadow warriors. And you must not be discovered by the outside world."

The talk was over, well, it seemed to be but with Master Splinter it was difficult for me to tell the difference despite nearly 8 years of living with my family. I shifted to get to my feet when I both felt and heard a rumble run through the lair around us, a metallic grating a quiet undertone ringing in my ears.

I got to my feet quickly as several bricks came loose from the ceiling. "What's with the noise?" I asked as the rumbling grew louder.

I snatched up the bag and slipped it over my back as I struggled to keep my feet under me. "Whoa!" I heard Mikey comment as he stepped in front of me. "Earthquake?"

I frowned at that; living with my family as long as I had we had never had one before. "In New York?" I asked him.

"It's possible," Don commented after a moment. "But not likely."

I hated the times when I was seriously hypersensitive of my surrounding; it seemed that today was one of them as I saw a loose stone from the ceiling beginning to fall. I reacted and grabbed Don's shell and yanked him back, closer to me and out of the way of the large stone. In the next moment I heard the wall a few feet in front of me and to my left practically explode inwards. Training kicked in and my body snapped to ready even as we looked at a gleaming but small silver body came through the wall, leading others behind it. I noted the way it's odd mouth moved, grinding and pulverising the stone it had worked its way through.

I sighed as my brothers all moved in front of me as they drew their weapons. They still treated me like I was a defenceless 6 year old kid. Alright, I was a couple of years younger, but still I could hold my own in a fight.

"What are those things?" Leo asked as the robots began to charge towards us, seeming to ignore Master Splinter.

"New York City cockroaches?" Mikey asked in return.

"Whatever they are, they picked the wrong party to crash," Raph snarled before he attacked, using the butt of his sai's to kick the robot back.

I watched as Don went next, swinging his bo-staff to beat one back before he attacked another. I watched in awe as the robot opened its mouth and caught the bo-staff in its teeth. I shook my head as I concentrated on a root coming at me, my brothers focusing on their own. I picked up the nearest weapon I could find – it just so happened to be two broken pipes. Smiling, I remembered the lessons Master Splinter had given me in the use of Raph's sais – we'd all agreed that since there didn't appear to be a weapon that suited me at the time, I'd learn to use a variety – and I swung into the fight.

I worked on crushing the robots that came at me before attacking the ones around me. I heard and recognised the fact that my brothers were attacking and destroying the machines around them. I froze as my gaze drifted passed one of the many stone pillars in our home; on the pillar, dug in quite deep, was a group of the small robots, all of them eating through the stone and metal that was the supports. I turned my gaze to the other pillars and I dropped my weapons.

"We got a problem!" I called as the rumbling that had been in the background grew suddenly louder.

I jumped back cursing as a loose stone from the ceiling nearly flattened me and I looked at my brothers and father, seeing Leo pull Raph away from the centre of where everything was beginning to fall. Even as dust started to cloud my vision I saw Master Splinter on the other side.

"Master Splinter! No!" Raph's voice sliced through my shocked haze as more stone and rock fell in front of me, hiding our father from view.

The rumbling stopped and we ventured forwards, over the fallen stone and through the settling dust. I grabbed hold of one stone and tugged on it, trying to pry it away, to try and free Master Splinter. I tried to quell the growing bubble of fear as I heard Leo doing something similar before we both gave in as the stones and rocks refused to move. This was something I couldn't believe, Master Splinter, our father couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be.

I stepped away, back-peddling slightly as I struggled to the take in the almost definite fact that Master Splinter was dead. It took a moment before the anger took over and I looked around for something to take it out – no matter what Raph thought of me, I wouldn't use my brothers as punch bags – and my eyes settled on the nearest machine, not completely active as its jaw worked up and down. I took a step towards it before Raph beat me to it, slamming his foot down on its head, crushing the metal and the computer parts inside. I growled at him before I looked at Mikey, part of me wondering if Raph's way of dealing with things would work.

"What the shell are these things?" Mikey asked as he crouched down by one the 'dead' machines, his nunchakus placed easily into his belt.

"Whatever they were," Raph began before he kicked the robot Mikey was looking at, "they're junk now."

I shook my head at Raph, even as I heard Leo calling us to help him before he turned to Don. "Donatello, is there any way to –" he started to ask our brother, before stopping as we all heard the familiar sound of Don pulling one of his machines out and tapping various buttons. "What are you doing?"

"Shell Cell," Don answered as he turned so we could see him holding the modified cell phone to his left ear.

I sighed at that, remembering the six Shell Cells that Don had made a few months before. We all carried one, Master Splinter in his monk-style robe, my brothers in their belts and me in one of the pockets I had in my jacket. I took a breath and listened to the ringtone, indicating that Master Splinter's Shell Cell was intact. That alone gave me hope.

The ringtone ended abruptly and I felt my heart drop and my hope disappear at that. _"Hmm… how do you answer this thing?" _Master Splinter's voice came through Don's cell as well as the sound of buttons being pressed on his cell and my hope returned. _"Hello?"_

I snatched the cell from Don, sending him an apologetic look. "Master Splinter?" I asked, even as I heard him still muttering 'hello?', trying to figure out how to answer the cell despite the fact he had already done so. "Master Splinter," I said, hearing an answering 'stupid device' as I shook my head. "You don't have to press any buttons, you already answered it."

_"Ah," _Master Splinter responded. _"Let me speak to Leonardo."_

I nodded as I passed the cell to Leo. He took it wordlessly as we all moved closer around him, trying to listen to our master's words and orders. _"Whatever those mechanical menaces are, they have to eat through the support structure of our home," _he said. _"We must leave right away. Meet me at the old drainage junction at south point."_

I looked over to Don, seeing he had one of his travel bags at his side already. He quickly searched through his bag before he pulled out one of our maps of the sewers in the city.

"If we take the south conduit, it'll intersect with the old drainage tunnel," Don told us after a moment.

"We'll meet you there sensei," Leo answered.

I started after Leo had shut the cell, feeling a hand suddenly appear on my shoulder, just above the point of my left wing. "What he say?! What he say?!" Mikey asked; his head at my shoulder as he looked between me and Leo. I shook my head at the energetic brother I had, wondering where he had been to not hear with our father had said. "Did he mention me?"

Next moment Mikey's hand was gone and he was rubbing his right arm. I looked at Raph and gave him a thankful smile and he gave me a small smirk in response. We all took a few minutes to grab some things that we might need, I didn't see what my brothers packed, but I grabbed the few spare clothes that I had and stuffed them into the bag that had somehow managed to survive this incident with me. I took another moment to pick up the spare coins that hadn't be destroyed or buried, even as I listened to Mikey saying his goodbyes to our home. And everything else.

I sighed as I looked around what had been our home before I followed after Leo and Don, hearing Raph and Mikey behind me.

"Looks like those _things_ have been through here," Leo commented angrily as we all walked through the damaged wall that had let them all in, our eyes falling onto the holes in the floor just outside.

We all leapt lightly over the hole before we continued on, following the tunnel in the direction we knew it would take us to Master Splinter.

"These walls are seriously compromised," Don commented as we walked. "It's lucky this roof hasn't caved in."

What little hope I had at Don's words died a moment later when we rounded a nearby corner and saw the entire tunnel blocked off by the fallen in ceiling. "You were saying?" Raph asked as we all stopped, looking at the sight in front of us.

"We can't go forward," I commented. "And we can't go back."

"Looks like we go up," Raph said from where he stood next to me and I saw him jerk a thumb at the nearby manhole – the same one I had climbed down earlier.

"Hitting the surface is a bad idea," Leo said as we all seemed to mull it over.

"We've got no other way to go Leo," Don said as we all unconsciously moved towards the ladder.

"Unless one of use has developed the ability to walk through solid objects, it's the only option," I said.

We all heard Leo's muted growl at being ganged up on – despite the fact we need to do this to go onwards. "Alright," he said. "But we only go up to go down the next manhole. Got it? Remember what Sensei said: it's dangerous for us to be seen let alone captured. We need to stay out of sight."

"We got it the first thousand times Leo," I told him as I moved to the ladder and began to climb up it. "It's more dangerous for you; I can get away with being up top. I know some of the best shadows to hide in to get to the next usable manhole."

I heard one of my brothers follow after me and I smiled as I looked down for a moment, seeing Raph bellow me, hiding my wings – what little was visible under my jacket – from the others. I reached the manhole quickly and I took a moment to heft the manhole to one side before I stuck my head up out of the manhole to look around, checking that the lights that had been on were now off. I nodded after a moment and climbed out, crouching to one side of the manhole and gestured for my brothers to come up.

"It's clear," I told them as Raph came out. "For now."

Raph leapt out to the nearest shadow in the alley way and looked out at the street we were on. Leo came up next but he stayed at the manhole, looking around despite the fact I had already said it was clear.

"Come on Leo, move it," Mikey's voice called up from under him. "I don't want to stare at your arse any longer than I have to."

I started as I heard a car roaring towards us. I pushed Leo down, out of the way before I leapt towards were Raph was. "Hide!" I snarled at him as I moved to the darkest shadow.

He followed my lead as he moved into the shadow near him. We both watched as a car drove through the street before leaving the street and turning down another one. I waited for a moment before I gave a low whistle.

Leo's head shot up out of the manhole. "What?" he asked before he frowned. "Raph! Stop it!"

I turned and saw Raph leaping and hiding in the shadows and clinging to drainpipes before he smiled. "Manhole at 12 o'clock," he called quietly to us before 'hop-scotching' over the road, jumping onto the roofs of cars before he reached the other side.

I shook my head as I saw another vehicle approaching and Raph moved to hide from the headlights. "You idiot," I muttered, even as Leo, Mikey and Don joined me in the alleyway. "You big idiot." I crossed the road quickly, watching as Raph moved to the side of the vehicle where the lights of it had gone out.

"Great, just great," he muttered, my ears just catching what he said. "Turtle luck working true to form."

I reached out to stop him as he got to his feet but he kicked the side of the truck – what it appeared to be – and I sighed. "We're trying to be stealthy here Raph," I said. "Just go and break that."

He shook his head. "Just help me," he snarled. "Don't even think about it Mikey." I smiled at that, even as Raph glared over my shoulder at our brother before he shook his head and turned around. "Fine Leo, I'll push the darn thing myself."

"With help," I told him, joining my brother as we both made our way to the back of the open truck. We both took a side of the truck and started to push.

We froze a moment later when we heard the sound of raised, but happy, voices. We both made to go back to our family, only to stop when we saw rough silhouettes in the window.

"Hide!" Leo's voice called to us.

We shared a look and raced back to the open backed truck. I helped Raph inside, watching as he settled himself in the ceiling out of sight before I joined him. Not a moment too late, I thought as the men came back, throwing several bags onto the floor below us.

"Did you see the way that guy squirmed when we took his cash?" one asked, laughing.

"Sheep to be fleeced by us wolves," another added, laughing.

I sighed quietly when the doors slammed shut. I took a moment to calm my racing heart before I looked at my brother. I noticed his glare, his angry expression and sighed again. We couldn't risk any talking when the doors opened and the men climbed in, laughing. The engine started and they drove the truck.

I gritted my teeth a moment later when the truck went over one of the many potholes in the road. If they drove over too many more the men were going to find out that we were there. When the driver took one corner sharply, I bit my lip as I felt my muscles strain to keep myself in place. I took a moment to look at the driver and his passengers before I silently dropped down onto the floor. I looked to the driver and smiled as I crept into the shadowed space behind the seats before I looked up at Raph and nodded.

He dropped down and joined me, both of us staying out of sight of the men in the front of the truck. It was only a few minutes before the truck came to a stop and the men left the van, slamming the doors behind them. Raph and I moved to the back of the truck and looked out the window, only to duck down a few moments later when the man came into view.

"Hey Two-ton, watch the truck," we heard one of the men order another and I shared a look with Raph at the choice of nicknames. "We wouldn't want someone to steal our stolen money." He laughed as he walked off and I took a chance to glance out the window, watching as a blue haired man walked off, into the building behind the truck we were in.

"You got any smart ideas?" I asked Raph.

"Whatcha lookin' at me for?" he asked in return.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You were the one who got us into this mess," I told him.

I jumped a moment later when the door in front of me dented inwards for a moment before going back to normal. I shared another look with Raph before we both looked out the window and smiled at the sight that greeted us. Leo, Mikey and Don standing outside the door, all three of them talking quietly before Don pulled out a pair of screwdrivers and stepped up to the door. I stood on my toes to get a closer look at the lock that Don was going to break and I felt my heart drop at the angled sight of the electronic lock.

I started when I heard a thump from inside, followed by a curse from Raph and I turned to look at him, frowning. I looked back and saw Mikey right in front of his door, mocking him. I shook my head at my other brother.

"Don't do it Mike!" I shouted, hoping to be heard through the thick glass even as I heard Raph continuing to curse

"What's that Raph?" Mikey asked, his voice just carrying through the door. "You're gonna have to speak up!"

I snarled, even as I saw Raph turn and clench his fists, trying his hardest not to break anything inside the truck before he smiled at me. I watched as he turned back to the door and lifted a foot, swinging it back before he hit the door, even as he punched it at the same time.

Mikey jumped back slightly and I could only smile at that. "Okay, I heard that," Mikey commented.

"Excuse me," Don said, his voice a little louder than Mikey's as it drifted from the crack between the doors. "I'm trying to work here."

"Sorry Don," I said before he returned to work, holding a small blow torch to cut away some of the metal around the lock.

He glanced up at me through his work glasses and gave me a terse smile before he started the blow torch back up. I sighed as I sat back down by the door, wrapping my arms around my knees as I drew them up to my chest. Raph moved away from the doors and over to the seats. We shared a look as he crossed his arms and leaned against the seats.

"We could easily have gone to the next manhole you know," I said quietly, both of us listening to the sound of Don working. "We didn't have to take the one the truck parked on."

"Then why did you give me a hand?" Raph asked as he looked at me, his amber eyes barely visible in the near dark. "You could easily have stayed with Leo." He jerked his chin towards the doors where we could hear Leo and Mikey talking behind Don.

"You're family Raph," I told him quietly. "Also, it's just hindsight coming to bite me in the butt. Can you blame me if it just so happens to be 20/20?"

Raph just shook his head at me, a slight smile on his face. I sighed as I rested my head on my crossed arms as we both waited. I seriously felt like I needed my rest; I'd been on my feet for coming close to 12 hours and I felt like I wanted to curl up and sleep. Instead I took a breath and forced myself to stay awake. A few moments later we both heard the sound of the lock turning before the door clicked open, revealing our family through the small gap of the unlocked and open doors.

"Hey Raph," Mikey said, his voice holding a quiet laugh. "Welcome back bro-!"

Mikey's voice cut off as Raph shot out the doors and tackled his younger brother – my older brother, though mind you they were all my older brothers – to the ground before promptly trying to beat the seven shades of the rainbow out of him. I shook my head as I stood up and Don offered me a hand to lean against as I jumped down from the back of the truck.

"What a hothead," Leo muttered as I moved to stand next to him, both of us listening to Mikey's repeated 'Ows'.

"Raph's family," I said, standing up for the one brother who knew my secret. "You can't say anything against family."

I turned my head to look at the unofficial leader of our group and paled at the sight that greeted me. I turned and took a step to the left, allowing Leo to draw one of his katanas without worrying about me and to allow Don to draw his bo-staff without worrying about hitting me with his weapon in front of him.

"Uh, Raph," Don called.

"We don't have time for this," Leo continued as all three of us backed away from the truck and around to face our opponents.

"And why's that?" Raph asked in a faux sweet voice.

"Cause we're not alone," Mikey answered for me as well all moved to the left side of the truck.

I suddenly wished for a weapon – any weapon – that I could use against the men in front of us as Raph reluctantly let Mikey go before they both joined us. I heard my other two brothers draw their weapons, ready to fight, even as I rolled my shoulders slightly, readying myself for the fight that I could see was about to happen. I quickly counted the 8 or 9 men in front of us, all of them wearing a purple dragon either on their clothes or tattooed onto their skin. The driver and his passengers were there, as well as a few more and I swallowed as I counted the weapons that I could see; bats and chains.

"Look at the freaks!" the leader said, mocking clear in his voice and I clenched my fists at the tone. No one insulted my family and got away with it.

"What's with the dweeby costumes?" one of the men asked.

The leader stepped forwards and twirled the short staff he had slung across both of his shoulders. "You're going down freaks," he said as he stopped it and swung it behind his back. "And we're gonna have a lot of _fun _with you lady."

I growled at that; like I was going to _let _them touch me if their tone was anything to go by. I knew roughly what _their _definition of fun was and I didn't want a part of that.

"Nobody messes with the Purple Dragons especially wearing stupid turtle costumes," the man continued.

I sighed as I settled myself – for a moment – into a familiar and comforting stance that had me ready to fight, even as I noticed my brothers all drawing the remainders of their weapons. I spared a glance to both sides of me, seeing my brothers before we all leapt forwards and into the fight.

You know, it was ridiculously easy to fight them: a kick here, a punch there, a flip onto the pile of wounded and then we were done. Personally, I could only smile as the leader of the group dropped his weapon as Raph deftly kicked him onto the pile of his comrades. I bent down and picked up the short wooden stave and pressed one end on the ground. The stave barely came up to the middle of my chest, but it would do as weapon. I was thankful that I preferred the use of Don's bo-staff at the moment.

"Let's get out of here!" one of the men shouted a moment after he had gotten to his feet.

He turned and ran, leaving behind his weapon of a length of chain. I could only shake my head, smiling slightly as the rest of the 'Purple Dragons' followed suit, even their leader.

"Gimme some green!" Mikey called out from behind me.

I turned my head to see which of my brothers would accommodate our brother, only to frown as Raph obliged him as he smiled.

"Well," I said, drawing out the word.

"That was easier than expected," Don commented as he stepped up to my left side.

"I hope there are more of those guys," Raph said. "I'm just getting warmed up."

Under any other _normal _circumstance, I would have smiled and joined Raph in a sparring match to try and calm him down – at least try and make him easier to deal with – but part of me wished he hadn't said that. My gut feeling was driven home as a few shadows covered us and both Mikey and I turned to look up at the roofs around us, seeing an extremely large number of people standing on them.

"Well, it looks like you got your wish Raphey boy," Mikey commented as the people leapt down from the roofs, onto various footholds on the buildings before surrounding us.

"Are those guys Ninjas?" Leo asked from behind me.

"Well," I said. "They are certainly ninja-esque."

"Be ready for anything," Leo told us as well turned back to back and readied ourselves for a possible fight.

"I'm so gonna enjoy this," Raph commented and I only smiled slightly at that.

"You won't be the only one," I told him before we began to fight.

I leapt forwards a little way, closer to the masked ninjas in front of me, before I began to fight, using the short stave to keep them away from me as I deflected and blocked attacks. It took me moment before I was able to swing in attack that should have knocked the ninjas out. I took a moment to smile at the sight of the prostrate men in front of me before I gaped at the sight of the two getting back on their feet.

I shook my head as I flipped back over to the truck where both Don and Mikey were fighting their own ninjas off. "Why won't these guys stay down?" I snapped as the two followed me and began to attack again.

I dropped down to the floor a moment later when both Don and Mikey were sent into the side of the truck. I shook my head and stepped in front of them, facing the ninjas that were fighting us. "Don?" Mikey asked. "Are we beating them or are they beating us?"

I hissed as I saw the shurikens flying towards us. I took a breath and leapt up, onto the truck while Don jumped into the truck and dragged Mikey inside, slamming the door behind them. I took a moment to glance at the door as I vaulted back down onto the pavement next to the truck. I heard the door behind me slowly open.

"Ask that again when we're actually winning Mikey," I said.

"Yeah," Mikey muttered. "That's what I thought."

I turned to look at Don. "You mind giving me your staff?" I asked.

Don smiled and threw it to me, allowing me to swing my short stave into the belt of my jacket. "Go ahead Di," he said. "Keep them busy while I hotwire this thing."

I returned his smile as I twirled his bo-staff in my hands before I looked to the ninja's in front of me. "Batter up!" I called out before I dived into the fight. I enjoyed the way my blood sang in my veins as I ducked, dodged and parried the blows that came at me. I took a moment longer to enjoy the fight before I leapt back towards my family, smiling as they put themselves in front of me. I took the opportunity to reach around the driver's side door and pulled the throwing stars out, pocketing them.

"How many of these goons do we have to bap before they get the hint?!" Raph asked as I turned my attention back to the ninja problem in front of us.

"Really! They just keep coming!" Mikey whined as the ninjas seemed to circle in around us again.

"Time to switch to plan B," Leo commented. "Donatello?"

I raised an eyebrow at that – Leo only used our full names when he was under the strain – and this was the first he'd said it in several months – or when he was really mad at someone or something. "Almost there Leo," Don called back and I turned to look at our techno-wiz brother, seeing him hotwire the underside of the steering column. A spark later and the engine roared. "This bus is now leaving for anywhere but here!" he called out, even as he slammed the door shut.

"Come on Raph!" I called as I moved to the back of the already moving truck and climbed in.

I moved deeper into the truck as the rest of my family leapt inside, pulling the doors shut behind them. I looked out the front windscreen to see Don swerving all over the place, seeming to aim for the ninjas who leapt out of the way before we left the alley.

"Whoa!" Mikey exclaimed from behind me. "Nice driving Don! For a turtle with no licence."

"It ain't pretty," I agreed as I took a seat next to Raph, opposite Leo and Mikey, all three of which were bouncing around on the seats as Don struggled to drive our new ride. "But you got to admit that it's effective!"

Mikey shook his head. "I gotta tell you this has been one mondo bizzaro day! First, those metal robot things underground," he said. "And, what's with all those ninjas?! Ninja's in New York City, besides us? It's just not right!"

I rolled my eyes as Don took a sharp corner. "You want to talk about not right Mikey?" I asked as Raph lifted up one of the bags the Purple Dragons had thrown into our truck. "Have a look at that."

Raph opened the bag and emptied it on the floor. Mikey grabbed two handfuls of the money. "Show me the money baby!" he exclaimed. "Wahoo!"

I shook my head as Leo snatched the money from his hands. "This isn't finders keepers Mikey," he said as I quickly packed the rest of the money back into the bag, even as Leo tossed the two handfuls back to me.

We soon saw a police car parked on one road and Leo urged me into the front passenger's seat, giving me the bags of money. Don pulled to a stop next to the car and, grabbing one of the bags, I stuck my head out the window and looked at the police.

"Look after this money, will ya?" I asked before throwing the first bag onto the hood of their car, followed shortly by the second, third and fourth.

I nodded to Don and he drove off. "That's our good deed done for the day," Don commented, even as he drove around another corner and through a metal gate.

I looked through the front windscreen and smiled at the sight of the old drainage junction – the one Master Splinter had told us to come to. My eyes froze on a figure, a familiar one that after 8 years of seeing I would automatically recognise anywhere. Don pulled us to a stop just outside the drainage point and we all clambered out of the truck, all of us aiming towards our father as he slowly stood up.

I vaguely remember us calling his name as we embraced him, one by one – although Raph seemed to settle for a pat on the shoulder. Knowing my brother, he'd probably greet our father a bit more enthusiastically later when they could speak privately.

"I am glad to see you again my children," Splinter told us, a small smile on his face.

"Master Splinter, so much has happened today," Leo said.

Splinter nodded and smiled again. "Yes, yes," he agreed. "There will be time to tell me all about it Leonardo. But first I wish to take you all home."

I started at that. Didn't Master Splinter remember what the robots had done to our home? Didn't he remember that going back to it would probably place our lives in serious danger?

"Home?" Mikey asked, incredulous, seeming to follow my line of thinking.

"We got no home," Raph said as he crouched down and tapped the head of one of the robots that littered the floor around us. "Those robots trashed our pad! Remember sensei?"

"Do not worry," Splinter told us as he walked over to a rather large hole in the floor, a few yards away from us. "I think I have found a solution to our current housing problem. Follow me my children."

We watched as Master Splinter leapt into the hole. After we had all shared a look with one another Leo followed suit, leaping forwards to rest on one hand for a moment before he vaulted down the hole. Don followed next, imitating a diver. Mikey merely stood at the edge and lifted his hands up.

"Cowabung-" he began before I saw Raph shove him hard, his yell of joy turning to one of surprise for a moment. "Not funny Raph!" came up to us.

Raph chuckled. "Oh yes it is!" he disagreed before he leapt, jumping feet first into the hole.

I sighed, shaking my head before I moved to the edge and jumped in, using booted feet to roll when I reached a bend in the tunnel that seemed to go downwards for a long distance. It took a few moments but I reached the bottom of the tunnel to see my brothers all lying on top of each other, groaning. I merely stood up from where I sat at the wall where the tunnel connected.

"I think you need to work on your landings guys," I commented as I patiently dusted myself off, checking that the hem of my jacket covered my wings.

"Wicked slide!" Mikey called out as my brothers disentangled themselves before getting to their feet.

We all took a moment to catch our breath before we saw Master Splinter walking away, the tapping of the cane echoing back to us. Mikey took the initiative and leapt so that he was walking behind our father.

"No disrespect Master Splinter," he began, "but this place doesn't seem all that great."

"Look with your heart Michelangelo, and not with your eyes," Splinter told him, bringing the prankster of our family to a stop.

"Umm…." Mikey muttered as we all caught up to him. "Okay."

"And walk this way," Splinter sent over one shoulder.

Before Mikey could even start, I wacked the back of his head. "Ow!" he said. "What was that for?!"

"You know what Mikey," I told him. "Today's been hard on all of us, don't push your luck."

With that we all followed after Splinter, only to stop at the entrance as we took in the sight that greeted us. The place we were looking at was three or four times the height of our old home, easily. And it seemed to be a lot longer and wider as well. I took a step further into the room, seeing the old cables strewn about as well as old rubble and moss.

"Whoa!" I said, hearing my brothers answering the same way.

"This is beyond awesome!" Mikey exclaimed.

"I could really tune this space up!" Don said, even as we all took a running start and climbed up pillars.

Well, it took me a little longer, but I dug my fingers into the usable cracks before I clambered up to the next floor. I paused, looking up and saw another one. If I could have, I would have used my wings to get a better look around the place, but as things currently were, I couldn't risk doing that. I'd wait until my brothers had left before I set out to stretch my wings and explore our new home.

"You see my children, change _is _good," Splinter called to where we all stood around our home.

"We couldn't agree more Master Splinter," Leo said, a smile on his face.

"Good," Splinter said. "Now let's see you boys clean up for a change. This chamber is filthy!"

"What about Diana?!" Mikey called from the opposite side of the walkway I stood on now.

"She is exempt from the main chamber," Master Splinter responded. "Whichever room she chooses as her own is one she must clean, but my sons, you need to clean everything else. Diana already cleans up after herself, you, my sons, do not."

"Awww Shell!"

* * *

Chapter 1 finished. What did you all think? Good? Bad? Stop now before it get worse? Let me know. :)


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